Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Student pilot survives emergency landing on highway and immediately urinates by road

'Is he peeing? ... Close your eyes' - Mother who witnessed moment to her son

Adam Lusher
Tuesday 25 December 2018 08:31 EST
Comments
The student was on his first flying lesson when the Cessna developed engine problems
The student was on his first flying lesson when the Cessna developed engine problems (PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

In a contender for the world’s most nervous pee, a student pilot on his first flying lesson urinated by the roadside moments after his instructor carried out an emergency landing on a busy highway.

Instructor Jim Williams said that when the Cessna’s engine failed, using Alabama’s Insterstate 20 as a landing strip was his only option, so “I dodged some traffic and a sign and managed to get it stopped."

The plane landed right in front of Freddie Carmichael and his family who were driving home from Georgia to Mississippi for Christmas and captured the moment on camera.

After telling her husband to pull over and check that everybody in the plane was OK, the concern of Mrs Carmichael’s wife turned to confusion as she saw the ponytailed student emerge from the plane and head straight for the roadside grass.

“Is he peeing?” she asked somewhat incredulously, before telling her son: “Close your eyes.”

Mr Carmichael later said he thought the Cessna’s right wing was going to clip one of the cars ahead of him during Saturday’s incident.

He told WSBTV: "The was one car, I think it was a Saturn. It obviously didn't see the plane, and I thought the right wing of the Cessna was going to clip it. I thought it was going to land on it."

Mr Williams, a flight instructor with 36 years’ experience, said the Cessna was about five miles from Talladega Airport when it started making strange noises and the engine failed.

He said: “I was out of options, and the interstate was the closest.”

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

He said that as he went in to land on the highway, what passed through his mind was “Probably everything that I had taught students for the last 36 years.

“And picking out a place for an emergency [landing]. And on an interstate, landing with the traffic instead of against the traffic. And everything seemed to work out good."

No cars were hit, and Mr Williams and his student were unharmed.

It was not immediately clear whether the student would be booking a second flying lesson.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in